Lightning R idge
GAZING OUT AT SUNSET from Nettleton’s First Shaft Lookout – the site of Lightning Ridge’s first hand-dug opal mining shaft – it’s not difficult to picture the ancient wildlife that once roamed among the trees here, in north-western New South Wales. It’s evidence of these prehistoric creatures that draws avid fossil hunters to the Ridge each year.Touted by return diggers as their annual therapy session, the Fossil Dig, run by the Australian Opal Centre (AOC), provides unique access to the world of Australian palaeontology.While searching through miners’ tailings for opalised fossil material, the first shout of “I think I’ve found something!” is met with an excitement that permeates the entire experience. Guided by expert palaeontologists and gemologists, activities range from fossil identification and discovery, to field trips into active opal mining areas.
Any discoveries during the week become part of the AOC’s collection and contribute to research. Returning in 2019 for my third year as AG Society host, I had an appreciation for just how valuable the work of dig participants is in expanding our knowledge of
prehistoric Australian animals and plants. Material that in previous years might have been placed in the interesting but unknown pile could now be identified as osteoderm – bony deposits in skin that may form scales or plates. Week Two of the dig is for return participants, who are able to tailor the program to suit their interests and those of the Opal Centre.This may mean a full week of hunting for that elusive dinosaur tooth, or helping out with a range of tasks, from GPS mapping to creating moulds and casts of important fossils from the AOC collection. No matter the activity, after a long day, relaxation is found at the artesian bore baths – the melting pot of Lightning Ridge in more ways than one! Soaking in the 40°C-plus water, you can listen to myriad accents of locals, lured to the region by the search for opal and the unique lifestyle it brings.
REBECCA COTTON